Head of Ukranian Catholic Church pays tribute to Pope Francis as his mentor

Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, has paid tribute to Pope Francis as his mentor.

The major archbishop was consecrated a Ukrainian Greek bishop in Argentina in 2009, while the future Pope, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, also served as ordinary for Eastern Catholics in Argentina who lacked a local hierarchy.

“It wasn't so easy for me, so I was looking for someone who could be my guide, someone I could ask for help,” said the major archbishop.

“It was an interesting time to see how the Church defended the dignity of the human person, the dignity of the family and the dignity of human sexuality,” he continued. “The approach of Cardinal Bergoglio to those issues was the approach of a father and pastor. He wasn't a judge. He was defending not abstract rules, but the dignity of the human person.”

“Even when he was taking the strongest positions, he was doing that with humility, kindness, in love,” he added.

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